1
Law and Political Science Faculty, University of Tehran
2
Faculty of Law and Political Science
10.22034/fasiw.2026.256916
Abstract
Salafi-Jihadi groups have experienced significant changes since their inception, shaped by international developments and shifts in their ideological foundations. From the late 1980s onward, the three main groups, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, stand out as the most influential. This article employs Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory alongside the concept of Salafi Jihadism as its theoretical framework to explore the question: “How have external factors influenced the ideological evolution and structural redefinition of Salafi-Jihadi groups?” To address this, the analysis focuses on three nodal points within Salafi-Jihadi discourse: loyalty and disavowal, the division between the Islamic and non-Islamic realms, and the contrast between divine sovereignty and tyranny. To avoid repeating earlier research, concepts such as takfir (excommunication), monotheism, enemy classification, and distinctions between local and global jihad are only briefly mentioned. This study aims to deepen academic understanding of these groups and to provide clearer distinctions between their discourses for both scholars and policymakers. The results of this research show that the key signs in the discourse of Salafi‑Jihadist groups, namely al‑walāʾ wa‑al‑barāʾ (loyalty and disavowal), Dār al‑Islām and Dār al‑Kufr (the abode of Islam and the abode of unbelief), divine sovereignty versus ṭāghūt (false divinity), sometimes coincide, in other cases overlap, and at times are in complete contradiction.
Houshisadat, S. M. & Arab, M. R. (2026). A Comparative Study of the Discourses of Contemporary Salafi-Jihadist Groups. (e256916). The Fundamental and Applied Studies of the Islamic World, (), e256916 https://doi.org/10.22034/fasiw.2026.256916
MLA
Houshisadat, S. M., & Arab, M. R. "A Comparative Study of the Discourses of Contemporary Salafi-Jihadist Groups" .e256916 , The Fundamental and Applied Studies of the Islamic World, , 2026, e256916. doi: 10.22034/fasiw.2026.256916
HARVARD
Houshisadat, S. M., & Arab, M. R. (2026). 'A Comparative Study of the Discourses of Contemporary Salafi-Jihadist Groups', The Fundamental and Applied Studies of the Islamic World, (), e256916. doi: 10.22034/fasiw.2026.256916
CHICAGO
Houshisadat, S. M. & Arab, M. R., "A Comparative Study of the Discourses of Contemporary Salafi-Jihadist Groups." The Fundamental and Applied Studies of the Islamic World, (2026): e256916, doi: 10.22034/fasiw.2026.256916
VANCOUVER
Houshisadat S. M., Arab M. R. A Comparative Study of the Discourses of Contemporary Salafi-Jihadist Groups. The Fundamental and Applied Studies of the Islamic World. 2026;():e256916 (In Persian). doi: 10.22034/fasiw.2026.256916
